BIA officials hear testimony on casino plan

Thursday

Mar 27, 2008 at 12:01 AM

By JANE LOPES

By JANE LOPES

Editor

MIDDLEBORO — Local officials and those on both sides of the Mashpee Wampanoag casino debate were somewhat surprised Tuesday night to see who didn't attend the first public hearing to be held by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs on the tribe's land-into-trust application.

"I thought there would be more 'regular' people here," was the refrain heard from all corners as stakeholders surveyed the audience in the high school gym. About 250 attended the scoping session, designed to help the BIA determine what studies should be done in the course of preparing a draft environmental impact report on the tribe's proposed initial reservation land in Mashpee and Middleboro. Many of those in attendance were members of the tribe, representatives of conservation and preservation groups, area and local officials, residents of surrounding communities, and those carrying "No Casino" and "Welcome Wampanoag" signs or planning to speak for or against the project.

Local officials had expected something more along the lines of the 1,000-plus residents who turned out for controversial town meetings last year and the special town meeting last summer where a substantial majority of the 3,700 voters approved an agreement with the tribe. Seats were set up on the floor of the gym and overflow space was ready in the auditorim for the crowds that some expected Tuesday night.

A total of 53 speakers testified during the three-hour session on everything from fears that the casino and related development on 539 acres of land off Precinct Street and Rte. 44 would endanger the Nemasket River and its tributatries as well as wildlife in the area to assertions that the development will renew the economic vitality of the area and bring tourism dollars to Southeastern Massachusetts.

The hearing was the first step in a process that the tribe hopes will be completed within 15 months but others say could take as much as several years. BIA spokesperson Amy Green outlined the process and explained that written comments will be accepted until April 9. There will be another public comment period when a draft environmental impact report (EIR) is published and a third after the final EIR is written. Comments can be on a wide variety of subjects that are outlined on the BIA website.

Ms. Green described the proposed casino resort, which was sketched out on plans distributed at the scoping session — plans that elicited considerable criticism from speakers who said they could not be expected tooffer "concrete, comprehensive comments without concrete, comprehensive plans," said resident Barbara Frappier, an environmental consultant and former Conservation Commission member describing the 8 1/2 by 11-inch sheet in her hand.

The first phase of the proposed development will be a 600,000 square foot casino with 4,000 slot machines and 200 gaming tables on two to three levels as well as shops, restaurants and an event center; a 1,000-room, 15- to 18-story hotel; and associated parking facilities, service station and warehouse on the portion of the property fronting on Rte. 44. Phase II, a golf course and possibly a water park, would be built on the northern part of the site closest to Thompson Street.

Tribal Council Chairman Shawn Hendricks welcomed the start of the process and said the tribe, which was officially recognized last spring, is looking forward to being able to use revenue from the proposed casino to help its members.

"Our tribe is not immune to the conomic pressures that face many families, on the Cape and across the nation," he said. "This provides us a way to stay home, as a family."